Farmers drawing Bhima waters for paddy crop causes fears of scarcity in Yadgir, Gurmitkal

March 13, 2024 07:32 pm | Updated 07:32 pm IST - Yadgir

Yadgir district has been declared drought-hit. Inconsistent rainfall during both the monsoon and rabi seasons last year has caused crop damage and drinking water shortage in rural areas this year.

The district administration has directed the officials concerned to keep attending to complaints on shortage of drinking water. They should immediately solve the problems by supplying water from available sources, while also protecting water resources for future usage.

Yadgir city and Gurmitkal town depend on the Bhima waters for drinking purposes. Water is supplied from the Gursunagi Barrage constructed across the river to provide water for drinking purposes and irrigation for dry land farming.

In the face of the government declaring the district drought-hit, farmers along the Bhima river course are drawing water from the barrage through pumpset for watering their paddy crop.

Paddy is considered a water-intensive crop.

“If farmers are allowed to draw water continuously from the river, Yadgir city and Gurmitkal town will have to face acute drinking water scarcity in the peak of summer. Therefore, the district administration should take immediate action against such illegal drawings to preserve water in the barrage for human and animal consumption,” a resident of Yadgir city said.

Paddy crop will be harvested in another four weeks and it will need water until harvest. The farmers who faced consecutive crop losses owing to short spells of rainfall have cultivated paddy to recover their losses.

“If the officials had instructed us beforehand, we would not have cultivated paddy. But, if they force us to stop watering our crop at this juncture, we will not get the expected yield,” a farmer said.